Quite a few documents exist wherein the performance of a food product is disclosed as a function of externally added agents with a functionality for the food products such as the addition of thickeners to increase the viscosity of the food product, the addition of crystallisation inhibitors to retard the post crystallisation of specific components, in general the fat components of a food product, the addition of bloom inhibitors to retard the blooming of chocolates, the addition of flavours to increase the flavour of a food product etc. It was found that in many instances the addition of these components led to problems often related to the oral mouthfeel but also to the bio-availability of the active component added while also the homogeneity of the final food product was affected in a negative sense due to a poor dispersability of the active component in the food product.
Moreover it would be beneficial if special effects could be obtained (such as the creation of fizziness) if two components could be added simultaneously to a food product which when in contact with each other in a homogeneous surrounding would react with each other e.g. under evolution of gas. So far this was not well attainable.
We studied whether we could solve the problems of the prior art set out above. This study resulted in our invention which concerns in the first instance a method for improving the oral properties and/or bioavailability and/or the homogeneity of a solid, active component in a food product by incorporating in the food product an effective amount, preferably 1 to 70 wt % on food product of a structured particulate system comprising one or more active component(s) in a matrix in a weight ratio of 1:99 to 99:1 and wherein the mean weight diameter of the particles of the structured particulate system ranges from 25 to 500 microns.
The active components are fully incorporated in the matrix and retain their original particle size. It was therefore remarkable that although the particle size of the structured particulate system is bigger than the particle size of its individual components that still the oral properties of the food composition are improved by the incorporation of the structured particulates. We found that the active components are incorporated as individual particles that are not in contact with each other in a network that is formed by the matrix. This is also the reason why in the particulate system different particles can be present that would react with each other when added to the food product as individual particles. The best results were noticed when the structured particulate system displayed a loose bulk density of 0.1 to 1.1, preferably 0.3 to 0.6 Kg/l. Loose bulk density being measured by measuring the volume of a known mass powder sample, that has passed through a screen into a gradulated cylinder. The procedure is described in USP less than 616 less than Bulk Density and Tapped Density.
It is preferred to use particulate systems wherein the mean weight diameter ranges from 50 to 400, more preferably from 60 to 300 microns.
The weight ratio between active components and matrix can range within a broad range but is preferably 80:20 to 20:80, most preferably from 60:40 to 40:60.
The discrete particle size of the active components in the total particulate system suitably ranges from of 2 to 275, preferably 5 to 250, most preferably 7 to 200 microns.
The active components can be of very different nature. Very good results were obtained with active components that are nutritionally active. In particular active components that improve the oral properties of a food product, or the bioavailability of the active component or the dispersability of the active component in a food have been proven to be very useful. However the active component can also be a mix of two active components which will react with each other when in contact with each other. Examples of such components are one or more of the components selected from the group consisting of: alkali or alkali earth metals such as salts of Na, K, Ca and Mg, in particular Na2CO3, NaHCO3, K2CO3, KHCO3, CaCO3; Ca(HCO3)2; CaSO4; Ca(NO3)2; CaSO3; Ca(HSO3)2; MgCO3; Mg (HCO3)2; and organic acids such as citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, maleic acid, lactic acid, acetic acid or derivatives or salts thereof. It was found that by using these active components in one and the same food product by adding them in the form of a structured particulate system of these two or more components special effects could be achieved such a fizziness upon baking or eating of the food product due to the fact that either the baking operation or the eating brought the two components that could react with each other in contact with each other so that a reaction between the two components could take place e.g. under the evolution of a gas(e.g. CO2).
The matrix can be any edible matrix, however we have a preference for a matrix selected from the group consisting of polysaccharides, modified polysaccharides, sugars, gums, thickeners, stabilisers, syrups, flours, starches, dextrose, maltodextrins and celluloses.
The particles of the matrix can have a particle size of 1 to 400 microns, but have preferably a size of 5 to 200 and in particular of 25 to 100 microns.
The food products that can be applied can be selected from a broad range of food products but are preferably selected from the group consisting of margarine, spreads, baked goods, extruded goods, confections, ice-creams and dairy products. From these products the baked goods are the most preferred. According to a last embodiment of the invention the invention also concerns with food products with improved oral properties and/or enhanced bioavailability of its active component and/or with a better homogeneity and/or a fizzy effect upon use, which food products comprise an effective amount of a structured particulate of one or more solid active components in a matrix in a weight ratio of 1:99 to 99:1 and having a mean weight diameter of 25 to 500 micron.
Effective amount being the amount giving the desired effect. This amount will be different for the different active components,for the different food products and for the different effects aimed for. However it was found that by applying our invention it was easy to provide a human in need of an active health component with 10 to 100% of its recommended daily dosage of this active component by feeding this human with a normal daily dosage of the food products.